Keeping the blogosphere posted on the goings on of the world of submarines since late 2004... and mocking and belittling general foolishness wherever it may be found. Idaho's first and foremost submarine blog. (If you don't like something on this blog, please E-mail me; don't call me at home.)

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Submarine BBQ

A reader sent in a picture of what has to be the neatest barbeque I've ever seen:

If you're so angry at having volunteered for the Navy's nuclear power program, why do you bother spending time reading blogs generally devoted to submarining?

And why do you insist on boring us with your negative commentary? It's not funny and no body cares.....

I doubt there are many who really loved the life of a submariner, but I'm equally sure that the majority of us who volunteered found many enjoyable moments while doing what we signed up to do.

Most of us found ways to deal with what we sometimes preceived as crappy assignments. We did what was needed and moved on.

Obviously you have yet to realize how improtant were the little things the navy made us do in the name of "realism". Creating reality in our drills has had an enormously positive cumulative effect throughout the years. It has meant that many thousands of American submariners are alive and well today. We are not dying of radiation poisoning. We are not blowing ourselves up with torpedoes still in the tube. We are not suffocating at the bottom of a shallow sea awaiting a rescue that will never come. Why? Because someone with more vision than you could see the importance of adding a little reality to the drills.

If you hated your job so much, you probably hated all the little details that made up your job. You probably hated getting off your ass to do your rounds. Did you often radio your logs?

I do hope you're out of the navy and not in any other position that could put others at risk.

OK Mister Anonymous. Have you stopped to think about the point of a submarine? What can a submarine do that a satellite can't? Oh, fire a torpedo and immediately get fired upon and sunk? I hope that target was worth 150 people. That is, if anyone in control knows what the fuck is going on on those green screens. You think that even the CO knows how to drive the boat in wartime? Follow the past, don't think, just do what others say.

Why are you living in the past? Why do you think your job is so totally awesome as to excuse things that shouldn't happen? As in 'it was hard for me, so it'll be hard for you'. How much farther would the sub community be in terms of talent if we stood on the shoulders of those before us, rather than repeat all the same mistakes and waste our time finding books we didn't know existed or hunting down a checkout from no one who wants to give one or only remembers the talking points? The only good thing about a submarine is the inevitable heart attack from eating midrats after port and starboard while trying to qualify and run drills.

I read bubblehead's blog for the same reaso you do: it's interesting. What I find interesting is obviously different than what you find interesting.

Who said I was angry? And who put you in charge of stifling criticism? If I lampoon the ridiculous inconsistencies of the modern navy, will the terrorists win?

Obviously YOU are not bored by my comments, but rather are stirred to action. Perhaps you should start your own blog about the glory days when you rode your mighty steel steed through the waves. You could then prohibit any comments that don't jibe with your interpretation of the experience.

Most of the moments I enjoyed on the boat had something to do with spinning up the lifers, like... well, kind of like YOU.

And why do you automatically assume that anyone who's critical about a job wasn't able to do that job? And do that job very well? You you always assume that someone who doesn't share your views radios their logs as well?

Am I (dare I say it) a cancerous cell? If I stop making fun of you, is morale bound to improve?

You don't want me to be retired. No, what you really hope is that (a) I'm still in the navy, (b) you'll run into me some day, and (c) you outrank me, so you can treat me to some NJP "justice".

Yes, that is a North Carolina sticker on front; it adds a very nice touch.

As far as "Free the Nucs" goes, I appreciate his perspective, as I do from essentially all my commenters. I always had a soft spot in my heart for the "malcontents" -- they were normally funny and did as much, or more, work than anyone else. FTN is welcome here, as are, obviously, my more pro-Navy commenters. (Plus, I have a feeling FTN might be one of my old shipmates.)

I think the best place for that monstrosity is at the bottom of the ocean. I have served on 4 boats and some sucked more than the others, but even the one with the most suck, I found things that were good. Still, you couldn't pay me to put that anywhere near my house, much less my yard.

I'll bite. After all, it was my original intent to stir things up a little bit. You see, Joel hadn't posted much over the last week and I was feeling blogger withdrawls. FTN seemed to offer an opportunity to create some discussion, so I jumped on it.

When I was in the navy back in the 70s, I was absolutely not a lifer. I did my time, made my patrols, and got out. Back then I lived for July 6, 1978. My real life began on that date.

Over time the memories of the bullshit that is/was the navy seem to fade. Maybe it's that I know I'll never have to put up with that bullshit again, not from the navy nor anyone else, that allows me to selectively remember only the good and positive things from that time in my life. In that very narrow sense, I guess I have become a lifer.

Having said that, I am still disturbed by how much anger I hear in the voices of some commenters. Maybe the submarine program truly has gone bad. Or maybe the angry ones just haven't aged enough to have developed more selective memories. I do hope it's the latter.

And one last note before I put the issue to bed: I think we all agree that being a lifer has nothing to do with how many years one served. No one liked a lifer. And yet I am reading comments that seem to confuse being proud of what one did while serving with being an asshole lifer. Lifers can be proud of service, but being proud doesn't make one a lifer.

The flag is exactly right if one were looking at it from the other side. Maybe it was set up to be seen from inside the tent. Blue field (the union) is on the left and the US flag is on the right side.

Oh, and the only diff between most 6-and-out folks, and those of us that did 20 is, we get a retirement check. Just because we did 20 doesn't mean we loved mother navy, it was an investment in time, that pays off in dollars every month.

For those wondering where to get one you have to have a XO from a sub support facility to give the OK to build it and then after 8 months and only 1 BBQ later to have NCIS come and take it away from the local Rec Committee who it was made for. And say it was a misappropriation of funds and then you have to have a buddy who works for NCIS give you date of when they are holding a closed auction and then you buy a $27,000 grill/smoker for a grand well thats Me venting and if anyone wants to know yes We want our grill back

About Me

I'm Joel Kennedy -- a married, 50-something year old retired submarine officer and esophageal cancer survivor with three kids who has finally made the transition to civilian life. Politically, I'm a Radical Moderate. (If you don't like something on this blog, please E-mail me. Don't call me at home.)